Murphy retires to join V8 Media team

V8 Supercars favourite and four-time Bathurst winner Greg Murphy is retiring from full-time racing to join the V8 Media team for 2015.

Murphy will be part of the broadcast team on Fox Sports and Channel 10 next season, providing expert commentary for the V8 Supercars and V8 Supercars Dunlop Series coverage.

The 42-year old recently celebrated his 200thstart on the Gold Coast, driving with James Courtney and the Holden Racing Team, and along with his four Bathurst victories has earned eight Bathurst podiums, 11 round wins, 13 pole positions and 28 race wins as a V8 Supercars driver.

While it was an extremely tough decision for 'Murph' to step away from co-driving -and contesting the year's greatest race, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 -he is grateful to have an opportunity to stay within the sport and ask his former competitors the tough questions.

"I'm very fortunate I've been in the position for the timing of the change," Murphy told v8supercars.com.au.

"To have the chance to step aside from the races and continue to be involved in the sport - I'm really looking forward to it and am very excited."

With the extensive coverage on 2015 - including every practice, qualifying session and race live and ad-free on FOXTEL (excluding Bathurst) Murphy knows it is a great time to jump on-board.

"It's going to be an amazing period of time for V8 Supercar with the new media rights and what that is going to mean for the exposure of the brand - it's just enormous," he said.

"So to be a part of that, and hopefully do a good job, is going to assist in the next stage of V8 Supercars. I'm pretty pumped about it."

Murphy has contested the three Pirtek Enduro Cup events with Holden Racing Team for the past two years, and has plenty of experience in the new generation Holden Commodore.

"Being able to do the enduros with HRT, working with those guys and racing with James -I have really enjoyed every minute of that," he said.

"But stepping away has been a big decision ... I'm pretty sure it's going to be tough come [Bathurst in] October 2015 when we rock up there and I'm not going to climbing on board a car. It's going to be the hardest race of the year."

Having kicked off his V8 Supercars career with the Holden Racing Team, driving alongside Craig Lowndes, Murph believes it is fitting to have ended his racing career there.

"For HRT to be the last team that I've been with in V8 Supercars means a lot to me as well," he said.

"I'm really thankful to Holden Racing Team and Walkinshaw Racing for allowing me to go off and do this. They've been very supportive and they've given me the chance to step out of a deal with them to go and pursue this new opportunity, so they've been really understanding and I'm very grateful for that."

V8 Supercars General Manger of Television and Content Scott Young is pleased to welcome Murphy to the TV family.

"We're delighted to welcome Greg Murphy to the V8 Media team. We are extraordinarily fortunate to have a driver of his caliber choose to pursue a broadcast career," Young said.

"Our production and sport is privileged to have had such a depth of expert commentators over the years.

"Murph brings the added bonus of having competed in the current Next Gen cars,delivering unique first-hand knowledge to our viewers across our multiple broadcast platforms in Australia and around the world."

Murphy has had the opportunity to take part in TV coverage at selected rounds over the past two years, and is looking forward to be involved to a greater degree from next year.